My English Partner
by sundayxmorningx
Summary: When Clare is struggling with English, Ms. Dawes assigns her a partner - Eli Goldsworthy. It starts off as a partnership, but as the semester rolls on, the two start to get to know each other.
1. Partners

**A/N: I own nothing. I love Clare and Eli. I haven't been excited about a Degrassi couple since Ellie and Craig. Although they were never really a couple. I know there are a lot of EClare stories, but I wanted to give it a shot too. I hope it's good?**

* * *

Clare nervously walked into Ms. Dawes' class afterschool. She had gotten her paper back with a note from the teacher saying, _See me afterschool_. She wasn't sure what the note meant and spent the rest of her day pondering.

"You wanted to see me, Ms. Dawes," Clare squeaked.

The teacher looked up, "Ahh yes, Clare. Come on over."

The girl made her way to the table.

"You're not in trouble," Ms. Dawes started, "However, your recent work hasn't been up to par with your previous works. It has been distant and lacking an opinion."

Clare was confused – she had written about gun control, stating it was good. That was an opinion.

"You've got great potential as a writer, Clare. You're wise beyond your years. I just want you to tap back into that. That's why I'm assigning you an English Partner."

Clare was even more confused – English Partner?

"Sorry for being late, Ms. Dawes," a voice came from the door.

Clare turned around and saw that it was the boy who ran over her glasses. It was also the boy who got her flustered with his comment, "You have pretty eyes."

"Elijah Goldsworthy, perfect timing," Ms. Dawes acknowledged him.

He walked next to Clare and gave her a smirk. She just stood there speechless.

Ms. Dawes started to talk, "You write excellent papers, Eli. However, you can be a bit wordy. You present good points but you don't need the excess words."

"Ok…" Eli said slowly.

"I've assigned you an English Partner," she looked towards Clare.

The two teens looked at each other, acknowledging one another's presence.

"I believe that you two will balance each other's writing styles. You've done well on your own, but with this partnership, you will do better," Ms. Dawes started to pack her things, "I'm expecting you to proofread each other's papers with comments so yes, you two will have to interact. I'm looking forward to your next papers."

With that comment, the two were dismissed.

Clare looked to her right – Eli was her English partner and she had to go to him for help. She wasn't used to asking for help. This was going to be quite the experience.

"So have you started thinking about the next assignment?" she attempted to make small talk.

"It hasn't even crossed my mind," Eli said smoothly.

"Should we set up a day to write it then just e-mail our papers to each other?" Clare was still getting used to the idea of working with a partner.

"How about we get together tomorrow and think it over?" Eli suggested.

"Oh. Well, I –" she started.

He turned to her, "Great. I'll see you tomorrow. Meet me in front of Morty afterschool."

Eli walked to his hearse.

Clare stood there speechless – what's a Morty?

* * *

**A/N: So how was it? It's just a start and more will come. Promise =) Please review. I want to know if I should continue it. Thanks!**


	2. Emotions

**A/N: I still own nothing. Also, I used the term "Blue Eyes" and I don't know who started it and whoever did, I give them full credit. It seemed appropriate to use it here. On with the story.**

* * *

The following day went by a lot faster than Clare had like. She reached her locker and started to get the appropriate books.

"You ready to go, partner?"

The voice startled her as she looked to her left – Eli and his trademark smirk.

"Um, yeah, I guess we don't have much of a choice," Clare sighed.

The two started to walk out of school.

"Well, I'm not too thrilled about it either but we are still getting graded," Eli said.

Clare was taken aback. Eli didn't seem like the kind of guy to care much about school. There was a lot more to him than she thought.

The ride to The Dot was a rather short one and the two barely spoke to each other. They let the music fill the void. Once they reached The Dot, they took a seat by the window and Peter took their orders.

He came up to them, "Hi Clare. What can I get you?"

Clare looked at the blonde, "Hi Peter. A chicken sandwich and fries for me."

Peter turned his attention to Eli, who ordered a burger and fries. Once he left the table, Eli smirked.

"Ex-boyfriend?"

Clare narrowed her eyes, "No. My sister's ex-boyfriend."

He nodded – so she has a sister.

"Can we get started?" she asked.

"Trying to get rid of me that fast?" Eli commented.

"Yes, because I've got other things to take care of that doesn't include my pushy English partner," she teased.

"Ouch," Eli pretended to look hurt – she was equally as feisty. He was intrigued.

Clare simply smiled and took out a notebook.

"So this assignment is about writing a letter?" Clare asked.

Eli replied, "Yep. It can be written to anyone as long as it's emotional and in proper format."

"Are you saying I'm unemotional?" she slightly smiled.

"Ms. Dawes said that," he pointed out and smiled back, "And apparently, I'm too emotional."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" she questioned.

"Maybe that's why we've been partnered up, Blue Eyes," Eli looked directly at her.

Clare blushed and stuttered, "Blue Eyes?"

He leaned closer, "Just wanted to get some emotion out of you."

She bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

Eli continued to look at her – this was going to be fun.

Peter came back with their orders and the two ate their food. Once they were finished, they dove into the assignment. After almost two hours, the two took a break to look at each other's works.

"You wrote about Capital Punishment?" Eli questioned her.

"What? There are facts and I stated a side," Clare defended herself, "Besides, your essay just seemed to ramble on. I don't know where it actually started or finished."

He simply shook his head – this wasn't going to work. Eli tried another approach.

"Is there anything in your life you would want to change?" he knew it was a sensitive subject but it was worth a shot.

Clare looked down, "My parents' fighting."

He struck a nerve.

"Write about that."

"It's not that simple."

"It can be."

"Then why don't you do the same?" she challenged.

Eli was at a loss for words – Clare had a point.

She looked at her phone, "I should get going. We'll work on this later and get together again tomorrow or something."

"Well, Clare, if you want to spend more time with me, you can just say so," he smirked.

"Oh yes, Eli, after spending the whole day with you, I just can't get enough," she said sarcastically.

The two shared a laugh as they went their separate ways.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted them to interact some more and I think I did a good job doing that. I quite liked this chapter. You did too? Maybe? =)**


	3. Friends

**A/N: I meant to update yesterday but I got caught up with hw assignments. Ahh, the joys of homework… Anyway, I re-read this and realized how short and filler-ish it was so as a treat for ya'll, I added the next chapter with it. Granted, it has the same feel but the story is developing. I promise. There's a "page break" mentioned indicating a new day. I would have added a line, but the editing thing is being funky on me. Sigh.**

* * *

Clare and Eli had finished their essays three days before the due date. They were once again back at The Dot to look over each other's papers. Clare had taken Eli's advice and wrote about her parents. Eli had taken the same route and wrote about something personal as well.

Clare read his paper. He had written a letter to Julia. He didn't really explain what happened between them but he did apologize and blame himself for the outcome. It was so sincere and heartfelt, Clare could feel her heart ache for Eli. His paper made hers look only average. She knew it was odd to tell someone something so personal, especially because they had only known each other for a few days. However, Eli had written something personal too, which Clare was appreciative for – at least it was a reciprocated partnership.

The two finished reading.

"Eli, I –" Clare started.

He put up his hand, "It's ok. I figured you would write something personal, so I should do the same."

She simply answered, "Thanks."

"So let's get to proofreading," he focused on the paper in front of him.

She could tell he didn't want to talk any further and followed his lead.

After half an hour, the two left The Dot and Eli offered to drive Clare to Alli's house. (That's when Clare found out that Morty was his hearse, but she wasn't about to admit that she didn't know).

"It was a great paper, Clare," he said, "There wasn't much I needed to edit."

"Thanks, I could say the same for you," she replied, "Also, thank you for opening up to me too. It's hard to talk about personal issues with a stranger, but it seemed to work out well with us."

Eli smirked, "Am I still a stranger to you? We've hung out and talked almost everyday. I think it's safe to say we're friends."

Clare laughed, "I'll see you Monday, _friend._"

She got out and was greeted by her best friend, Alli.

"First the afterschool dates, now he's giving you rides? You're moving quite fast," Alli teased.

Clare rolled her eyes, "We're English partners – friends."

"If that's what it's called these days," her best friend laughed.

Clare shook her head and followed Alli inside. The two sat on her bed.

"So tell me everything about you and Eli," Alli said excitedly.

"There's not much to tell," the redhead replied, "Ms. Dawes assigned us as English partners so we're forced to work together. He's… interesting. There's more than meets the eye."

The brunette smiled, "I'm sure there is."

"Alli…"

"What? I'm just saying. Besides, you two look cute together. I give you guys about a month until you two are the next Degrassi couple," the brunette stated.

"I doubt it," Clare responded.

"And why is that?"

"I don't think he's over his ex," she said, "And I'm certainly not going to date after the KC fiasco."

"It's in the past now, Clare," Alli stated, "Just give it some time and see where it goes. Don't just disregard it."

"We barely know each other. We discuss English and that's it," Clare ended the conversation.

"Just give it some time," Alli said in her sing-song voice.

-Page Break-

Clare reached her locker and started to gather her books. She tried to suppress a yawn, but failed.

"Crazy weekend?" a familiar voice asked.

She faced Eli, "You know me too well."

The two made their way to their respective classes.

"So how was the Bhandari sleepover? Did you two catch on your latest gossip?" Eli smirked.

"What Alli and I talk about at girls' night stays between us," she simply said with a smile.

"I get it," he shrugged, "You two were talking about me."

Clare laughed, "Well someone has got an ego so early in the morning."

They reached her class. Clare turned around to say bye but saw Eli was quite close. She could make out just how green his eyes were.

"I'll see you in English," he said before walking away.

Clare watched as Eli turned the corner. She went to her seat and was greeted by Alli.

"So he walked you to class…" she raised an eyebrow.

"It was nothing," Clare mumbled.

"My my, is that a blush I see?" the brunette asked.

The redhead turned her attention to the computer as the class got started. English came a lot faster than expected as Clare found herself sitting behind Eli. He didn't seem to be paying attention, but she hung on to Ms. Dawes' words. They had a new assignment coming up and Clare wanted to get all the information she can get.

"You will be working with groups of 2 or 3, but no more than that," Ms. Dawes stated, "Once you have formed your groups, come see me to get your respective Shakespearean work. Remember, it will be a video presentation, so keep it within 5 minutes."

Ms. Dawes made her way back to her desk as the class formed groups. Eli turned around.

"Partners?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course," she answered.

He went to Ms. Dawes' table and got a copy of _The Taming of the Shrew_.

"Ms. Dawes wants to see us afterschool again," Eli sat down.

Clare nodded and the two started to look for a scene.

School had ended and the pair made their way back to Ms. Dawes' class. When they got there, another student was waiting by the desks.

"What's up, Adam?" Eli gave the boy a fist bump. It was obvious that they were friend outside of class.

"Hi Adam," Clare smiled. They knew each other through Drew and Alli but they had gotten along well.

Ms. Dawes smiled at the exchanges, "I can see you three know each other well. Adam will be transferring into your English class and he needs a group to join for the next assignment."

"We'd be happy to have him in our group," Clare said sincerely. Eli nodded.

Ms. Dawes smiled and continued, "I looked over your essays," she looked at Clare and Eli, "I haven't finished reading them but I can see you two are off to a good start. Good job."

With those words, the three left the class.

"So what's the next assignment?" Adam asked the pair.

Clare spoke, "We have to make a 5 minute max video of a Shakespearean play with a modern twist. Ms. Dawes wants us to understand the play and interpret it into our own words."

"We got _The Taming of the Shrew_," Eli jumped in.

Adam nodded, "Cool. So are we going to portray Katherine or Bianca?"

"Katherine and Petruchio. The story is about them and they have memorable scenes," Clare said.

"We're going to look up scenes on our own, decide which to use, then videotape it," Eli explained.

"Can I videotape?" Adam asked, "I'm better behind the camera than in front of it."

"Yeah, sure man," Eli understood.

After discussing a day and time to meet, they went home.

* * *

**A/N: I know it seems a bit rushed that I mentioned Julia already, but the letter was quite vague, if that helps. Clare and Eli will discuss what happened eventually. I just wanted them to be on the same level of understanding. As for the Shakespeare scene, I've got something planned. Please review.**


	4. Katy and Parker

**A/N: So here's the next chapter. I hope it doesn't sound as filler-ish. Haha. And here's the Shakespeare scene. Yay!**

* * *

The Shakespeare assignment was due in one week. Clare, Eli, and Adam were going to get together today to film the scene – Act 2, Scene 1. Clare waited outside for the boys.

Alli saw her best friend, "Going on another date with Eli?"

The redhead gave her a look, "Actually, I'm hanging out with Eli and Adam for our English assignment."

Alli smiled, "If you finish early, come over for dinner. It probably beats going home with the parents fighting and all."

Clare nodded, "I'll text you. Thank you."

The two hugged as Eli and Adam made their way to them.

The brunette took this as her cue to leave, "Have fun, Clare."

"Ready to go?" Eli asked.

"Yeah," she followed them to Morty.

They drove to the park – they decided to use it as a backyard, where Katherine and Petruchio share an intense dialog. They got settled and looked at the script they had created before filming. They changed the names to Katy and Parker for modern purposes.

"Let's get rolling," Adam grabbed the camera.

_Katy and Parker first meet._

_"Ahh, Katy, the pleasure is all mine," Parker bowed._

_Katy crossed her arms, "I bet it is. I'm guessing you're Parker."_

_"You would be correct," he smirked, "You really are as lovely as they say. And just as sweet."_

_"Oh gosh," Katy scoffed, "You don't have to put words in people's mouths. I know what they say about me and it doesn't affect me."_

_"Despite what you may think, I'm being serious," he took a step towards her._

_She also took a step, challenging him, "Don't suck up to me. What do you want?"_

_Parker smirked again, "I want to go on a date with you."_

_"Did you lose a bet?" Katy sounded spiteful._

_"Nope. I saw you the other day and I couldn't help but think of how… hot you were," Parker eyed her up and down, "Who would have known you had a personality to match."_

_She took another step forward, "Wow, that was quite the line."_

_He took a step, "So you'll go on a date with me?"_

_"Don't put words in my mouth," she gave him a playful smile._

_"There's something else I'd rather do to your mouth," Parker lifted her chin with his finger._

_Katy's eyes widened, "Excuse me?"_

_She took a step back and turned away from him._

_Parker chuckled and walked over to her._

_"I'll pick you up on Sunday," he replied in a husky tone._

Clare fell out of character when she felt Eli's breath on her ear. Her breathing got ragged.

"And cut," Adam said.

Finally.

"Wow that was awesome. I don't even think we need another take," he started to rewind the tape.

Clare didn't want to see the video. The ending was a bit much.

"You know what?" she got up, "Is it ok if you two edit the video? I promised Alli I'd have dinner at her place and I'm swamped with homework."

"Uh, yeah, I've got no problem with that," Adam replied, "You pretty much wrote the script. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Do you need a ride?" Eli offered.

"No," she said rather quickly, "No um, Alli lives close by so I'll be ok."

He looked surprised, "All right. See you tomorrow."

- Page Break -

"And you didn't kiss him because?" Alli asked.

"It was a scene, Alli," Clare groaned.

"Why won't you give it a chance?" the brunette looked at her best friend.

Clare looked down, "I don't want to get hurt again. You remember what happened with KC. What if it happens again? Plus, my parents are always arguing and the only time they don't argue if they're off on their own. They won't tell me but I know their marriage is falling apart. I've always looked for them for guidance, but now, I don't know what to do. And as for Eli… I don't even know if he likes me. He's probably just being a good friend. And he's not over his ex. I don't know exactly what happened between the two but he still loves her."

"Oh Clare…" Alli wrapped her into a hug.

They were interrupted by Clare's cell phone. She answered.

"Hi mom."

_"Clare, honey, could you stay over Alli's tonight?" _her mom asked, _"Your father will be in the office all night and I'm going to a girlfriends to discuss the next church event."_

Clare sighed. This wasn't the first time this has happened.

"Yeah, sure. It's no problem," she sighed.

_"Thank you, honey, I love you," _her mom said.

"I love you too," Clare whispered.

She hung up and looked at Alli.

"Can I sleep over?" she asked.

"Of course," Alli started looking through her closet, "You've still got some clothes here from last time."

As she looked for clothes, Clare heard her phone go off. It was a text from Eli.

_Hey. Adam and I are going to meet up early tomorrow morning to view the final edit of the video. Do you need a ride to school?_

Clare responded. _Well, I'm sleeping over Alli's house tonight so I'm sure we'll be there early because of Sav. Thank you, though._

Another text. _Parents?_

She replied. _Unfortunately_

Eli texted back. _I'm sorry…_

Clare didn't want to discuss it further and ended the conversation. _Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow._

She positioned herself onto Alli's bed.

"So tell me about you and Drew."

Alli squealed and joined her on the bed before going into one of her rants.

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think? Good scene? No? I seriously hope I did that Shakespeare scene some justice. Please review =) **


	5. Parents

**A/N: I still own nothing. Degrassi isn't mine… if only, though…**

* * *

Ms. Dawes loved the interpretation of _The Taming of the Shrew_. The rest of the class seemed to enjoy it as well. Clare was impressed with how it turned out, but she dreaded watching the last few lines.

"The ending was fantastic," Ms. Dawes commented, "The way Katy stood there speechless as Parker set up the date. I especially enjoyed the playful banter between the two characters. You wrote the script, right Clare?"

Adam coughed, trying to get Clare's attention.

The redhead looked up, "Oh, yes. But – but Eli helped too."

Eli let out a huff.

Ms. Dawes smiled at the three students and called up the next group.

- Page Break -

"Well, I better get going," Adam grabbed his backpack, "Dinner with grandma."

"Good luck," Eli gave him a fist bump.

"Let us know how it goes," Clare replied.

Adam gave them a wave and walked towards his brother.

"And then there were two…" Eli smirked, "Got any plans?"

"Just homework and think of a layout for the yearbook," Clare told him.

"Any chance you could squeeze in some time with your English partner?" his smirk never leaving.

"I don't remember Ms. Dawes assigning any homework," she playfully thought it over.

He rolled his eyes.

She laughed, "The Dot?"

They settled in the seats by the windows as Peter took their orders.

"How's everything at home? Did you show your mom the letter?" Eli asked.

"Actually, I did. My parents ended up talking and it looked like things had gotten better for a few days. Then they started arguing again," Clare sighed, "The only difference now is that they try to keep the arguments away from me."

"They probably mean well," he suggested.

"I guess…"

Eli could tell she had more on her mind.

"How do you feel about it?"

"It's getting worse. The tension keeps rising," Clare bit her lip, "My dad tries to avoid my mom and if they are in the same room, they argue with each other. I don't know what happened… but they used to be in love. I looked up to them and wanted to have what they have. Now, I'm not sure what I want. They're falling apart."

He sympathized for the redhead. He didn't know what it was like to be in her position but he could see she was devastated by it. Her family meant the world to her.

"Do you know what I'd really want?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he answered.

"I mean, other than them getting along again," she mentioned, "But I don't know if that'll happen. I want them to tell me what's happening."

Clare looked at Eli with hurt in her eyes.

"They fight when I'm not in the room. They think I don't know and they try to be civil to each other when I'm there. As much as it hurts to hear them fighting, it hurts even more that they don't include me. I almost feel invisible in that sense."

After a quick silence, Eli spoke up.

"Talk to them."

"I – I can't," she stammered.

"Why not? If affects you as much as it does them. You deserve to know," he said.

Clare just looked at Eli so he continued to speak.

"You gave your mom the letter so you've already taken a step. Take another step."

Clare whispered, "It's so much worse this time around…"

She had made a breakthrough with the letter. Her family had taken one step forward. But now, they were two steps back. She did want them to talk to her,, but at the same time, she was scared. What if it really was that bad?

"I wish Darcy would come back," she softly said.

Clare saw the confusion on Eli's face.

"My sister."

He nodded.

"It would be nice if she was here so I could talk to her, y'know," she explained, "I could really use my sister right now. She's doing a great thing in Kenya and I know she's a lot better, but I still miss her."

He asked, "Do you talk to her?"

She nodded, "Oh yeah, we e-mail but she can get busy."

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to… you've got me, Alli, and Adam," he offered.

Clare looked at him sweetly, "Thanks. You've been great. Erm, all of you have been great."

He smiled.

Her eyes widened, "Oh gosh, I've been talking about myself. That was probably boring for you."

"No," Eli said quickly, "Not at all."

She gave him a small smile.

"Let's talk about something else," Clare said, "What about you?"

"Are we going to play 'Twenty Questions'?" he smirked.

"Why not?" she said, "We are friends after all."

Eli put his arms on the table and leaned in closer, "Well… what do you want to know?"

* * *

**A/N: EClare bonding time! Awww. And Degrassi is back! Who else can finally start breathing again?**


	6. Middle Man

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and alerts! It means a lot to me and I hope this story continues to be to your liking =) Another chapter… it's slightly filler, but it does have Adam interacting with both Clare and Eli. Adam's great. I really like him. Anyone else on the same boat?**

* * *

Adam walked over to his locker, which was near Eli's, and saw that Eli was already there. His back was turned towards him and his attention was on Clare. Adam rolled his eyes – those two needed to kiss already or something. He heard Clare laugh before walking away. Eli turned to his locker and it was clear that he was smiling.

"So are you two together yet?" he asked.

"Adam…" Eli warned.

"It has been over a month since you two started flirting," Adam sighed, "It was entertaining at first. Now it just makes me want to puke."

"Then don't look," Eli remarked.

"So you do like her," Adam proudly said.

Eli rolled his eyes, "I would be lying if I said I didn't. But I'm just not sure if I can…"

"Because of Julia?" Adam softly mentioned.

Eli looked at him and his eyes answered the question – yes.

"Why don't you tell Clare?" Adam asked.

"I don't know if I can," Eli replied, "It might freak her out."

Adam closed his locker, "She's a lot stronger than you think."

"Yeah, she is," his friend agreed.

He put a hand on Eli's shoulder, "I'm sorry, man. I know it takes time, but you can't stay stuck forever. It will be ok to move on and I think Julia would wait for you."

Eli let out a breath, "Maybe. Thanks."

- Page Break -

Adam was sitting in the library, waiting for Drew to finish football practice. He slammed his head onto his book – he and Trigonometry had a love-hate relationship and right now, the subject hated him.

"Mind if I join you?" a voice asked.

He looked up to see Clare standing there with a stack of books.

"Hey Clare, take a seat," he moved of his stuff.

She sat down, "How's everything?"

"Well, other than this Trigonometry homework hating me… everything is surprisingly good," Adam smiled, "My parents have been supportive of my decision to stay as Adam and my grandma took the news well. She just wants me to be happy."

"That's great to hear," Clare beamed, "I'm so glad your mom has finally opened up. Your grandmother sounds wonderful. I really admire how strong you've been through all of this.

"I've got you and Eli to thank," he said, "Speaking of Eli…"

Clare blushed and mumbled, "First Alli, now you…"

"The whole school wants to know," Adam's voice got louder, "We're all taking bets."

"Seriously?" her voice dropped and she raised an eyebrow.

"Well… no… but Alli, Drew, and I have predictions," he said quickly, "Alli said a month, I said two, Drew says the end of the semester."

Clare shook her head and ignored his last comment.

"Ok, so nothing is going on between you two," he said, "But it's obvious that there could potentially be something there. Do you like him?"

The redhead remained silent.

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes'…" Adam teased.

"Ok… so maybe I do like him…" Clare whispered, "It's not like I know if he feels the same."

Adam rolled his eyes, "Trust me, the feeling is mutual beyond words."

"Then… why hasn't anything happened yet?" she asked.

Adam thought it over – he knew the reason but it wasn't his place to say.

"Try talking to him," he suggested.

Clare thought it over, "I guess that couldn't hurt… I just hope it doesn't freak him out or anything. I mean, we've already got something good. I would hate to ruin that."

Adam sighed, "You two are a lot more similar than you think."

- Page Break -

It had been a week since Adam had talked to both Eli and Clare about one another. He was positive that they were going to talk it out, but the exact opposite had happen. Eli avoided Clare like the plague and in her point of view, she couldn't understand why. She would try to talk to him, but he always found an excuse to keep the conversation short. They barely even met when they had to correct each other's English papers. Eli acted indifferent about the situation and after several attempts, Clare had grown frustrated.

"Dude, what's your deal?" Adam cornered Eli.

"Nothing, man," Eli lacked emotion.

"Damn right nothing!" his friend scolded, "And that's the problem!"

Eli looked at him, "I don't want to hurt her. I like her a lot and that's dangerous. I lost someone close to me once… I don't want it to happen again."

"Judging by your actions, I think you're already doing that," Adam nodded towards the distance.

Eli turned around to see Clare walking his direction. He would have tried to escape, but Adam wasn't letting him go anywhere.

"Here's your paper," her tone was cold, "You started to ramble on so I cut those lines out. It's barely three pages now. Ms. Dawes is expecting three full pages."

She practically slammed the paper into his hand.

"Also, may I remind you that the paper is due on Tuesday, so if you could give me my paper by this weekend," Clare crossed her arms, "That would be great."

Eli and Adam stood there speechless – if voices could kill, Eli was just cut in half.

She turned around and started to walk away.

"Dude…" Adam groaned.

* * *

**A/N: As I was writing this chapter, Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold" was playing in my head. Haha. It seems fitting, I guess. I hope you enjoyed =D Also, I saw the promos for "Love Lockdown" and I'm excited to see it! Love love EClare. As for the MuchMusic Eli promo… wtf? Lol.**


	7. Hi Julia

**A/N: I still own nothing. I'm posting this chapter up a bit faster. As you can see from the title chapter, we get to find out a little more about Eli's behavior from the previous chapter. And here we go.**

* * *

Clare woke up Saturday morning and went downstairs for breakfast. Her mom was in the kitchen, cooking pancakes while her dad was getting ready to go to work.

"Are you sure you can't stay for breakfast?" Mrs. Edwards asked her husband.

He sighed, "I'm sorry. There's a lot to do in the office…"

Clare knew they were just trying to act civil since she was in the room. It drove her crazy but she kept her mouth shut. Her dad came over and kissed the top of her head.

"Bye dad," she replied.

Mrs. Edwards watched as her husband exited. She sighed and turned her attention to Clare.

"So what do you have planned for today, honey?" she asked.

"Oh, I was going to ride my bike for a bit then do homework. Maybe meet up with Alli later," Clare mentioned.

"That sounds nice," her mom smiled, "And how is school going?"

"It's good – I was struggling with English for a bit but Ms. Dawes assigned me a partner. All my other classes are going well, though. And Yearbook Committee has been a lot of fun," and answered, "How are you?"

Mrs. Edwards sighed, "I'm ok, honey. I've been busy coordinating church events. Your father… your father has been busy with work."

Clare looked at her mom. It looked like she had a lot on her mind.

"Mom, are you and dad ok?" she cautiously asked.

Mrs. Edwards looked at her. Her eyes flashed with sadness, but she responded, "It's nothing to worry about, Clare. We have disagreements but you don't have to worry about it."

Before Clare could get another word in, her mom turned around and started to clean the kitchen.

"I should clean this up and get ready," she announced, "I'm meeting with Mrs. Reese later in the afternoon to discuss the next church dinner."

Clare took this as her cue to leave. She gave her mom one last glance before going to her room.

- Page Break -

As Clare got on her bike and started to ride, her thoughts instantly went to her parents. She was tired of them shielding their fights from her. She already knew that they were fighting, anyway. They just couldn't see that this was hurting her more. Clare felt helpless and she hated feeling helpless. She wanted her parents to tell her what was going on so they could find a way to figure this out, together as a family.

After a few minutes, she took a quick break in the plaza, near a grocery store so she could buy some water. When she exited the store, she saw a familiar face a few shops down – Eli, leaving a flower shop. Clare was wondering what he was doing there but wasn't in the mood to ask him. They still hadn't really spoken since she handed him back his essay. She quickly went to her bike, hoping Eli wouldn't see her.

"Clare," Eli called out.

Just her luck.

She looked over and gave him a small smile. She saw that he was walking towards her so she met him in the middle.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he replied, "What are you up to so early in the morning?"

"Just riding my bike. Clearing my thoughts," out of courtesy she asked, "How about you?"

Eli looked at the flowers and avoided her eyes, "I'm… going to see someone."

A silence followed.

"I'm uh… I'm going to see Julia."

"Oh," Clare whispered.

"Come with me."

"I don't know… I don't think –"

Eli interrupted her, "No. It's uh, ok. She would have liked you."

Clare eyes widened, understanding.

"Sure."

He briefly looked up to give her a small smile.

They drove to the cemetery in silence. Clare didn't want to push the subject and Eli didn't look like he wanted to talk. They got out of the car and she followed him.

"Hi Julia," Eli said.

Clare looked at him, then the tombstone. She was only fifteen when she passed.

"Julia, this is Clare," he faced the redhead.

"Hi Julia," Clare smiled.

"I miss you…" he whispered, "I know it's been a year but I haven't forgotten about you. I don't know if I ever will."

Clare remembered the English Letter assignment.

"Julia, I'm sorry," Eli said, "I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it back, change things. You didn't deserve this."

She could feel the sincerity in Eli's voice and Clare could tell that he felt shame and guilt. She wanted to help him – she tenderly grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

Eli squeezed back, acknowledging the exchange.

"What happened?" she was almost afraid to ask.

He sighed, "We got into an argument that day. We got frustrated with each other and she left on her bike. On her way home, a car hit her."

Clare held her breath.

"It's my fault," his eyes started to water, "If I hadn't been so stubborn and turned her away. I sent her away. I'm the reason why she… She shouldn't have… I shouldn't have…"

Eli was on the verge of tears but tried his best to hold it in.

Clare squeezed his hand and took a step closer, "I'm sorry, Eli."

"That's why I've been distant," he explained, "It's Julia's uh… anniversary in a few days and memories just came back."

She nodded.

"I don't want to hurt you, Clare," he looked at her, "I like you but I don't want to hurt you."

As every second passed, Clare could see that Eli just wanted to break down. As gently as she could, she pulled him into a hug. He hugged her tightly, while she caressed his back. No words were exchanged but the actions said enough.

_You deserve to be happy…_Eli immediately opened his eyes at the voice. He shifted his head and looked at Julia's tombstone.

"Is everything ok?" Clare noticed the movement.

He focused his attention on the flowers. A slight breeze brushed up against the lilies.

"Yeah," he said slowly, "Everything is fine."

She noticed his behavior and looked at the flowers. She figured he needed some time to himself.

"I'll meet you by the car," she offered him a smile before walking back to Morty.

Eli kept his focus on the lilies. There were two things Julia always enjoyed: 1) When there was a slight breeze in the air because she "felt like a movie star on a fashion magazine." 2) Lilies because her grandmother planted them and they continued to grow in her front yard.

He looked at the lilies, blowing in the wind. He now understood.

"Thank you."

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so I was trying to make this sound emotional and heartfelt and I really hope I got that across. I read it a few times thinking I needed to change anything, but I couldn't find anything to change about it. I think I was just scared that it would throw everything off. **


	8. Annoying

**A/N: I own nothing. Um… I don't have much else to say other than that. Haha. I think that title chapter is fitting, considering Clare and Eli are taking an annoyingly long time to get together in this story =P**

* * *

Since the day Clare and Eli visited Julia, the two were closer than ever. Yes, they were still just friends (much to Adam's and Alli's complaints), but they were very content. She would wait for him at his locker, he would walk her to her classes. They sometimes went to school together and they most definitely hung out afterschool. People speculated but the pair ignored it.

They were currently by Clare's locker.

"Hey Clare," Alli came up to them.

"Hi Alli," she smiled then turned to Eli.

"I'll see you in English," he smirked and walked away.

"And how are things in the land of denial?" Alli asked.

Clare laughed, "Just fine, thanks. I really don't see what the big deal is – we're friends and we're happy where we're at."

"Just become official already," her best friend groaned, "It already seems like you two are together."

Clare shook her head and walked to class.

"You have to admit, you two look really cute together," Alli mentioned.

Clare blushed.

- Page Break -

"Just get together already!" Adam yelled at Eli.

"Geez, any louder? I couldn't hear you," Eli rubbed his ear.

"You're driving us all crazy," Adam stated.

"The only people going crazy are you and Alli," he corrected.

Eli sat down and continued, "We're good where we're at. I don't see why you two have to push us. What's the big deal?"

The younger one smacked his forehead, "I give up."

Eli simply smirked.

- Page Break -

It was now lunch and Alli went to meet up with Drew. Clare made a trip to her locker.

"Hey Clare."

She turned at the sound of the voice and she looked a bit surprised.

"Oh. Hey K.C."

The football player smiled shyly, "How have you been?"

"I'm good, thanks," she replied slowly, "How about you?"

"Good… yeah, good," he answered.

Clare shifted her weight from one foot to another, "How are you and Jenna?"

"Oh," he scratched his head, "Oh, we uh, we broke up. Disagreements."

She lifted an eyebrow – they broke up just as Jenna revealed to him that she was pregnant? She had heard about the pregnancy from Alli.

"So I was wondering," K.C. started, "Are you free afterschool? I was hoping we could talk and catch up, y'know."

Clare was shocked. They basically had a falling out last year after the break up and hadn't spoken to each other since. She wasn't comfortable with the idea – he had just broken up with his pregnant girlfriend and wanted to catch up with an ex, despite months of not talking? He might have had good intentions, but Clare was wary.

"I'm sorry K.C.," she replied, "I'm meeting up with Eli afterschool to work on our English paper."

K.C. looked disappointed, "Right, I understand. It's ok. I'll see you around, then."

He walked away looking slightly defeated and Clare turned back to her locker.

"What was that about?" Adam had seen the exchange.

She closed her locker, "Honestly, I'm not sure. He wanted to hang out afterschool but I told him I was busy."

Adam nodded and they walked to the cafeteria.

- Page Break -

"He asked you out on a date?" Eli almost yelled.

Clare looked at him funny, "He asked me to hang out with him and catch up… that doesn't really sound like a date."

"Sounds like a date…" he mumbled.

"K.C. broke up with Jenna because things were changing," Alli explained, "He wants things to be static so he asked you out. You two were always a calmer couple compared to most."

"He didn't ask me out," Clare reiterated.

"It could have eventually led to that," she said.

The redhead remained silent.

"Wait," Eli suddenly spoke up, "You and K.C. dated?"

"Well… yeah…" her voice was soft, "He was my first boyfriend…"

Adam tried to control his laughter as jealousy quickly flashed through Eli's eyes, "I didn't know you were into jocks."

"He wasn't a jock back then," she said, "Just a nice guy whom I shared classes with."

"And he asked you out on a date…" Eli crossed his arms.

"Date or not," she said, "I told him I had to work on our English paper."

Adam looked confused, "Didn't you two finish those papers yesterday?"

"I know," Clare looked at Eli with a smile.

Eli smirked in return.

Adam and Alli rolled their eyes, while Drew chuckled.

The bell rang and they went to class. Clare and Eli walked to English, while Adam purposely fell behind.

"Those two are annoying," he commented.

"Tell me about it," Alli agreed.

Drew chuckled, "Just give them some time. They'll get it eventually."

"Says that guy who predicted they would get together by the end of the semester," Adam replied, "You're winning!"

"Never bet against your big bro," he smiled proudly.

Adam groaned.

* * *

**A/N: So school is getting a bit more hectic for me – I've got midterms coming up and research papers to worry about. It's not fun. So we'll see how often I update. I'll try my best. Luckily I wrote the other chapter already so I'll post that one up later tonight. Thanks for the support!**


	9. Cliche

**A/N: Thank you thank you for the feedback! It means so much to me! Like I said, I'm posting this one tonight. I still own nothing… just a little idea I have. I really hope this story is flowing =/ heh**

* * *

Alli watched Clare from a distance as her best friend opened her locker. She was about to leave when K.C. walked up to Clare. This was like, the 15th time in the past 3 weeks. Alli was getting annoyed. K.C. should have been focusing on Jenna and the baby, not trying to get some other girl… especially an ex. She was going to take matters into her own hands. Clare said she had it covered, but K.C. wasn't getting it. Alli would make sure he did.

She walked up to Clare, "There you are. Drew, Eli, and I have been looking for you."

"You have?" she looked skeptical.

"Well yeah, we always have lunch together," Alli looked at her.

"Right…" Clare was confused as to where this was going.

"So come on," she grabbed the redhead's hand, "You wouldn't want to keep your **boyfriend** waiting."

Both K.C.'s and Clare's eyes widened.

"Alli," Clare started, "Eli is – "

"Oh, you two wanted to keep it on the down low, huh?" Alli faked her guilt, "Well, cat's out of the bag now."

Clare stood there speechless.

K.C. spoke up, "I didn't know you and Eli were…"

"They go out on dates all the time," the brunette rolled her eyes at him, "They've even double dated with me and Drew a few times."

The redhead glared at her – they were dragged into a date _once,_ so Alli wouldn't get in trouble with her dad.

"Oh," K.C. was crestfallen.

Alli looked at K.C. then at Clare, she did that a few times before saying, "Well, let's go."

-Page Break-

"Alli…." Clare groaned and buried her head in her hands.

"I was saving you, Clare," she defended, "You should be thankful."

"I had it covered…" the redhead mumbled.

"Yeah, that's why K.C. keeps coming up to you everyday," her friend scoffed.

"He would have realized eventually that I didn't want to hang out with him," she looked at Alli.

"Or he would have kept asking you. You know how he is," Alli leaned on the table, "You can be too nice, Clare."

Adam, Drew, and Eli watched the girls in amusement. They were actually on board with the idea of Eli and Clare fake dating. Adam thought it would get the two of them together faster. Drew agreed because he didn't want Alli to hit him again. Eli didn't like K.C. so he just wanted to mess with him.

"I can't believe you're ok with this," Clare shook her head at Eli.

He shrugged, "It'll be fun. I don't see why I wouldn't be ok with this."

"See? Eli is ok with it," Alli stated.

Clare glared at her, causing Alli to slightly hide behind Drew. Clare turned her attention to him, who just grinned nervously. Adam clapped his hands.

"Just go with it, Clare," he said, "You two hang out enough as it is so it's believable. The rest of us will back it up. Plus, it'll get K.C. out of the picture."

"This is so cliché," Clare pointed out, "An ex-boyfriend wants another chance and girl gets a fake boyfriend to drive him away."

Alli looked hopeful, "So you're on board too?"

"I guess…" she sighed.

Alli squealed. Drew smiled at her behavior. Adam put his fist in the air with a "yeah!" and Eli smirked. Clare looked down in defeat.

"I better get to football practice," Drew gave Alli a kiss on the cheek and left.

Eli got up, "And I should get you home."

He offered Clare his arm, "Ready to go, _girlfriend_?"

She rolled her eyes, but took his arm anyway. The two made their way to Morty.

"You sure this is going to work?" Adam leaned in to Alli.

"Absolutely."

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it! Eli and Clare are progressing. Sort of. Yay! Let's see if they can keep it up.** **So I've actually written the other chapters and I just need to type 'em up. School gets a bit hectic but I'll try to make time to type out and post my stories because honestly, it keeps me sane. Too much school is bad… even for me.**


	10. One Step Forward

**A/N: Studying for my midterm is driving me crazy! I am taking a quick break before my head explodes...  
Anyway, I own nothing… blah blah blah. I know this story is progressing slowly but I'm trying to make it believable. Thank you for sticking with it, though!**

* * *

Turns out Alli's plan was working after all. K.C. had left Clare alone, although he still looked at her here and there. Clare wasn't completely comfortable with the idea, but it was growing on her. Plus, it did keep K.C. at a distance. Eli was having a blast with it, however. He thought K.C. was stupid for dumping Clare so Eli bragged about her and their "relationship" any chance he could.

"Happy Anniversary," Eli said, "I wrote you something."

Clare looked at him oddly and took the paper. It was his English assignment.

"Aww, aren't you sweet?"

"You know," he took a step closer to her, "Most guys get kisses from their girlfriends on their anniversary."

She took a step closer and leaned in.

Eli looked surprise at her bold move, but went along with it.

"Don't push yourself, _boyfriend._"

"Ooh. Soo close," Eli smirked.

Clare laughed.

"Ready to go to class?" he asked.

She nodded and shut her locker.

Eli put an arm around her shoulders. This took Clare by surprise. Normally they just walked closely or they linked arms. Heat rose to her cheeks at the contact. As they walked, Clare saw K.C. coming towards them. She gently snaked her arm around Eli's waist.

"Getting a bit touchy feely, I see," Eli smirked.

"Shut up," she mumbled.

They reached her class. Eli loosened his arm and Clare did the same. He turned to her and kept his distance close. She was aware of the lack of space between them.

"I'll see you at lunch," he looked at her lips, contemplating.

Clare held her breath.

Eli noticed and smirked, then walked to class.

Alli noticed the scene from her seat.

"What was that?"

Clare sat down, "I don't know…"

Alli smiled – now they were getting somewhere.

-Page Break-

"Someone's happy," Adam commented.

Eli chuckled and shook his head.

"Something happen between you and Clare?" he asked.

"No, but this whole fake relationship thing isn't so bad," the older one said, "I think she's warming up to the idea."

"You were easily on board with the idea," his friend recalled.

Eli shrugged, "K.C. is an idiot for breaking up with Clare. He's missing out on a great girl and I'm making sure he knows that."

"Sounds like you want this to become the real deal?" Adam asked.

"We'll see," Eli replied simply.

Adam smiled to himself – finally!

-Page Break-

Afterschool, Eli walked over to Clare, who was just walking out of class.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she smiled at him.

"Do you have any plans this Friday?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Not at the moment…" she continued to smile.

"I was wondering if you maybe wanted to hang out," Eli continued, "just the two of us."

"Like a date?" she questioned.

"Well, you are my girlfriend after all," he then put his arm around her shoulders.

Clare giggled, "Ok, Friday sounds good."

The two stopped walking. Eli kept his eyes on Clare.

"I'll pick you up at 7."

* * *

**A/N: Progress! Yeahh! Haha. I know this chapter is quite short but, hey, it's something. The next one is longer. Maybe I'll post that one tomorrow night? I will be done with my midterm by then... hm... Reviews would be appreciated =)**


	11. Those Four Words

**A/N: A big THANK YOU to those who reviewed, have put this story on fave, and alert. It's encouraging and I really appreciate it. This chapter is a bit longer BUT there's a lot going on in it. I think it balances out. Also, I might have butchered Clare's parents' names and if I did, please tell me!**

* * *

Clare went for a simple look that Friday – she wore a light blue dress with white flats, she only wore mascara, and kept her hair the same except for a dark blue headband. After looking at herself for a few minutes, she made her way downstairs. Before reaching the bottom of the stairs, Clare heard her parents arguing. She hid by the stairs and listened to the conversation.

"Can we at least talk about this?" Helen asked.

"We've tried! And all it does is lead to arguments!" Randal yelled.

"Because you jump to conclusions!" she responded.

"Maybe because you accuse me of bullshit!" his voice got louder.

"Randal!"

Clare gasped – it was rare for her dad to cuss.

"You're always off planning church events, avoiding being at home," Randal seethed, "I may not be home but at least I've got a good reason – I'm trying to provide for this family! I work my ass off at work."

Helen scoffed, "Yes and it's just so convenient that Laura is always at the office the same time as you."

Silence.

"What's wrong, Randal? You think I didn't know about your affair? I've known for weeks!" she continued.

"You're making this up!" he responded, "Just like everything else."

"I'm not stupid," she defended herself, "The lipstick stains on your collar. The notes she leaves you on your car. I've got proof!"

"You're going to tear this family apart, Helen," he replied, "If you tell Clare about this, you're going to tear this family apart."

"She deserves to know," she said, "We can't keep this from her. Besides, you've already torn this family apart with your affair."

Silence.

Clare's head was spinning. Tears had escaped from her eyes. She would have never expected her dad to have an affair.

"I want a divorce."

Clare's head shot up at those four words.

"Helen…" Randal started.

"Don't," she interrupted, "You cheated, Randal. That's unforgivable. We made a vow to each other and you broke it. I can't be with a man who breaks a vow as sacred as marriage."

"What about Clare and Darcy?" he asked, "Clare is still a minor – one of us would have to get custody."

"There's no way I would let you have custody," her tone was sharp, "She deserves to be with someone who loves her and sets a good example."

"You know I love her too…" Randal softly said.

Clare couldn't take it anymore. There was so much information being thrown at her and she couldn't handle it. She let out a sob and raced towards the door. She only got as far as one house when she ran into someone.

"Clare?"

She looked up to see K.C. standing there with concern. She wasn't sure what he was doing there, but at the moment, she didn't care.

"What happened?" he put his hands on her shoulders.

"My - my p-pa-parents… they're – they're g-get-getting a di…" she chocked on a sob.

K.C. didn't let her finish and just enveloped her into a hug. She clung on to him.

As they held on to each other, Eli's hearse drove by. He wasn't sure if the two figures were who he thought, but he deeply hoped it wasn't. His hearse got closer and he squinted his eyes. He immediately recognized Clare's hair and K.C.'s tall physique. From his eyes, the two were enveloped in a loving embrace – he caressed her back while she buried her face in his chest. K.C. saw the boy and gave him a triumphant smirk.

Eli's mood shifted from happy to pissed off. He then saw Clare lift her head up to K.C. She probably told him something because K.C.'s lips started to move. It looked like they were going to lean in for a kiss. Eli's mood increased and he drove away in a rush.

Clare heard the car. Her eyes widened and she quickly released herself from K.C.

"Eli…" she whispered.

"Oh, did you two have something planned?" he asked.

"I'm sorry K.C. I have to go," she said and ran back into her house.

Her parents didn't seem to notice her presence and she quickly went to her room. She grabbed her phone and dialed Eli's number. It went straight to voicemail so she tried again. And again. And again. After six failed attempts, Clare called another number.

"Hello?"

"Alli!" Clare said, "Can you come over?"

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, bad K.C.! I know, I know… some of you probably hate me because Eli and Clare were FINALLY making progress and I go and mess it up. Haha. I know what I'm doing, though. Promise. And hey, I'm done with my midterms so I'll be able to update faster.**


	12. And Two Steps Back

****

A/N: I own nothing. I think if I did own Degrassi, Eli and Clare would have been dragged out and EClare fans would probably get angry at me. Haha. But it keeps things interesting, right?

* * *

And just like that, Eli and Clare were back to being friends. Well, they weren't really friends at this point. Eli refused to talk to Clare and she didn't really make much effort to talk to him. He was still pissed from Friday and she was preoccupied with her parents, who decided to go through with the divorce.

It also didn't help that K.C. and Clare continued to talk. It was more on K.C.'s part, but Clare spoke to him since she wasn't sure who else to turn to, besides Alli. Not that Alli wasn't supportive – she was amazing. But Clare didn't want to load everything on her. Adam tried to speak to Clare but it was hard to do that behind Eli's back. He thought it was childish that he had to "choose sides," according to Eli, but he went with it – someone had to keep him in check.

"Do you even know what happened?" Adam asked.

"I saw with my own eyes," Eli snapped. "They made up and are probably going to get back together."

"I highly doubt that," Adam countered. Clare wouldn't do that.

"You didn't see what I saw!" Eli defended.

"You don't even know the whole story," Adam retorted, "You're just speculating."

"I'd still rather not talk to her…" Eli mumbled.

Adam thought it was pointless to push any further – Eli was just too stubborn.

"Let's just get to class," he sighed.

The two walked through the hallway. Neither of them spoke – Eli was bitter and Adam was just tired of arguing. As they walked through the hallway, they spotted Clare and K.C. at his locker.

"This is ridiculous," Eli scoffed and walked faster.

Adam sighed and followed.

"Hey, K.C.," Clare said.

"Hey," he smiled at her, "How's everything at home?"

"Um, not any better," she answered sadly, "They're talking to lawyers and asking me about how I feel and who I want to stay with… it's a bit much."

"I'm sorry, Clare," he put a hand on her shoulder.

She smiled sadly, "Thanks for y'know, being there. This is my problem and I'm dumping it all on you."

K.C. shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I just want to see you happy again."

Clare nodded, "I'll see you around."

K.C. smiled and went back to his locker.

From a distance, Jenna saw everything. She sighed to herself – K.C. Guthrie was up to no good.

Alli walked past her.

"Alli, wait!" she called out.

The brunette turned around, "Hey Jenna."

The two had become friends and she continued to help her out with the pregnancy.

"I wanted to talk to you about K.C.," she said.

Alli rolled her eyes, "Don't get me started on your baby daddy. First, I can't believe he dumped you because you wouldn't get an abortion. Second, he won't even help you. Third, he has been hanging around Clare…"

"That's it," Jenna interrupted, "I wanted to talk to you about K.C. and Clare."

"What about them?" Alli said slowly.

"He's up to something. His intentions aren't the best," she said.

"Tell me something new…" Alli rolled her eyes.

"Come on," Jenna grabbed her to the side where they could talk privately.

* * *

**A/N: So my chapters have been short lately. I try to add on to them but sometimes I'm scared it won't flow. I'm still trying to get a nice flow to it. As much as I love EClare, I don't want to put them together instantly.**


	13. Just Looking Out

**A/N: ****So guess who has no classes on Friday and is celebrating by posting a new chapter? =) The next update might be a bit longer because I've written the chapter after this, but I want to be at least two chapters ahead of this one. Does that make sense? Anyway, enough of my rant…**

* * *

The following day, Jenna and Alli confronted Clare at her locker.

"Uh… hey…" she looked at them oddly.

"We need to talk," Alli started.

"About K.C.," Jenna said quietly.

Clare groaned, "You guys…"

"Hear us out," Alli said.

"He's up to something," Jenna said, "He wants to tear you and Eli apart."

The redhead looked skeptical.

"Jenna heard K.C. talking to Owen," Alli defended.

"Do you think it was just a coincidence that K.C. was in your neighborhood the same time you and Eli had a date?" the blonde asked.

Clare looked confused – she had point.

"Look, I know we haven't had the best history, especially concerning K.C.," Jenna continued, "But you and I both know he hates change. When I told him I was pregnant, things changed for him. He doesn't like that so he's going back to something that was constant."

Clare knew Jenna was talking about her and K.C.'s relationship.

"When he saw that you and Eli were getting close, he got jealous," Alli spoke up, "Which is a total jerk move because he and Jenna just broke up."

Jenna looked down and Clare sympathized.

"K.C. overheard Eli telling Adam that he was going on a date with you on Friday," Alli said, "So he went over at that time. He saw you crying and found the right opportunity to get close to you again."

"That's why he has been talking to you," Jenna explained, "He wanted to get close to you so Eli would be out of the picture."

The redhead was in shock K.C. had a lot of nerve. Her mood suddenly shifted to anger – to K.C. and herself. K.C. because he was willing to hurt Jenna and Eli to get what he wanted. She was mad at herself for slowly falling for this friendly manner.

"Thanks, Jenna," she said genuinely, "Thanks, Alli."

"Just looking out for my best friend," the brunette stated.

"So what are you going to do about K.C.?" Jenna asked.

She looked at them, "I'm not falling for his trick, that's for sure."

- Page Break -

Later that day, K.C. met up with Clare.

"Hey," he said happily.

She ignored him.

"Ok…" he replied, "What's going on?"

She looked at him and shook her head then walked away.

He quickly caught up to her.

"Clare!"

"Leave me alone K.C."

"But wh – "

"I know what you're up to!" Clare told him, "You were just using me so things could be back to normal or whatever. Well guess what? Things change! You had Jenna before you screwed that up and I had Eli! I was happy with him and you couldn't stand that!"

K.C.'s temper started to get a hold of him, "Where did you get this from? Jenna? Because she's reliable. Do you not remember that she broke us up?"

"Just stop!" Clare yelled back, "I'm tired of you finding excuses!"

She didn't want to talk to him anymore and walked away in a fast pace.

K.C.'s temper flared. He took quick strides towards her and fiercely grasped her wrist. Clare winced at the pain. She tried to wiggle free, but his grip tightened.

"Let go," Clare continued to fight.

"Not until you look at me and let me talk," K.C. threatened.

She tried to calm down and slowly looked at him.

"Whatever Jenna said is a lie," his voice was low but forceful, "I just wanted to be your friend again. I miss you, Clare. It's Eli's fault for overreacting and avoiding you. He made you miserable. I want to make you happy."

His grip loosened and Clare continued to wince at the pain.

"If you want to make me happy, you're not doing a very good job," she gritted her teeth.

K.C. realized she was in pain and quickly let go. She massaged her wrist and looked at him with disgust. He started to back away.

"I'll see you around," he mumbled.

* * *

**A/N: Oooh, no bueno, K.C. No bueno… Anyway, I've never written a scene like this before. Haha. I hope it turned out well. **


	14. I Missed You Too

**A/N: So I've been in a bit of a funk lately. I've had no motivation to update or continue with this story. I'm sure I'll complete it though because it isn't fair to all of you who have read it. However, my updates will not be as frequent because I only want to give you (what I think are) good chapters.**

* * *

Eli made his way to Morty, with a sigh of relief. He thought school would never end. While he walked, he saw Adam, Alli, and Drew by the basketball courts. He kept his distance, but tried to listen in on their conversation.

"How is Clare dealing with her parents?" Adam asked.

"She's taking it day by day," Alli answered, "But the divorce is really taking a toll on her. I wish there was more I could do."

Adam nodded, "At least you can be there for her. All I do is test her since Eli would declare war if he saw me talking to her."

Eli instantly felt guilty – Clare's parents were getting a divorce? He should have been one of the first to know. He should have been there for her.

"Hey, what's going on with Clare and K.C.?" Drew chimed in, "He never stops talking about her."

"Ugh, don't get me started on him," Alli's voice was filled with disgust, "He thinks he can get Clare back, but she knows better. Jenna and I talked to her about it."

"As if Clare needs anymore drama," Adam said, "She has to worry about her parents. She's still bummed out that Eli won't talk to her. And K.C. is trying to get her back."

"Why won't Eli just talk to Clare?" Alli questioned.

"He's stubborn. He thought Clare and K.C. were going to get back together and won't let that idea go," Adam explained.

"I'll make him talk to her," Alli's voice rose.

"Whoa, Alli, calm down," Drew chuckled, "Let my brother try talking to him one more time. Then you can go handle it."

Adam nodded – for a tiny girl, she sure was scary.

Before he could be seen, Eli walked back to Morty. It was true, he had been stubborn. He was so caught up in his little story that he never bothered to ask her what really happened. Now, he was going to make it up to Clare.

He drove to her house within a matter of minutes. He knocked on the door and waited rather impatiently. It felt like hours had gone by, but it was only a few seconds until someone opened the door. Fortunately, it was Clare.

"Eli," she couldn't hold back her surprise.

"Er, hey," he said, "Can we talk?"

Clare nodded and closed the door behind her.

"I know I've been acting like a jackass the past two weeks," he started, "I avoided you and never gave you a chance to explain what happened that Friday."

She kept quiet.

"I'm sorry," Eli faced her, "I like you. And I jumped to conclusions at the first opportunity. Things were going so well and I screwed it up."

Clare looked up at him and gave him a look that said, _I agree with you_.

"Have I mentioned I'm sorry?" Eli really wanted to get back on her good side.

She simply nodded her head, but avoided his eyes.

"I missed you, you know," she said softly.

He was relieved, "I missed you too."

Ever so gently, Eli's hand grazed against Clare's. He lightly touched her knuckles and moved to her wrist. She winced at the contact. He noticed her reaction and looked down. Clare tried to hide her wrist, but he saw the bruise.

"What happened?" his tone sounded concerned.

"No – nothing," she quickly said, "I was talking to K.C. and –"

"K.C. did this to you?" his voice rose.

"It's nothing Eli," she pleaded, "Please, just let it go. I'm not planning on talking to him anytime soon."

His jaw clenched – K.C. had a lot of nerve to hurt Clare…

"He's out of the picture," she reassured him, "Drop it, please."

Like that was going to happen.

* * *

**A/N: Despite my funk…  
Eli to the rescue! Go and protect her honor, like you said in "Love Lockdown (pt. 1)." Aren't you glad they're on speaking terms again? =)**


	15. Official

**A/N: Still in a bit of a funk, but I'm posting this chapter now. It did make me a bit happy and I hope it does the same for you. Please review =)**

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Eli spotted K.C. at his locker the following morning. He narrowed his eyes, clenched his fists, and marched towards him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Eli yelled.

K.C. looked startled, "What's your deal?"

"No, I think I should be asking you that," Eli reached him, "I saw what you did to Clare. There's a bruise on her wrist because of you!"

"And what are you gonna do to me?" K.C. challenged, "Or are you just all talk?"

Eli aggressively slammed K.C. on to the lockers. He was taken by surprise but responded within a matter of seconds. K.C. shoved him off. The two boys began to wrestle in the middle of the hallway. K.C. had gained the upper hand and put Eli in a brief headlock before he escaped. Eli then rammed himself on to K.C. causing him to stumble. K.C. kept a hold of him as they fell on to the ground.

Sav and Drew had seen the fight from a distance and quickly intervened. Sav grabbed Eli, while Drew kept K.C. in his place. They tried to attack each other again but Sav and Drew kept a tight hold.

"Whoa, whoa. What's going on?" Sav asked in an authoritative tone.

"Ask him!" K.C. spat out, "He attacked me out of nowhere!"

"If you ever lay a finger on her again, I guarantee there will be more damage!" Eli warned.

K.C. pulled himself away from Drew, "I don't need this."

He glared at Eli and walked away to meet up with Owen. Sav slowly let go of Eli, who started to make a run for K.C. but was stopped by Drew.

"I think you've made your point," Sav said.

Eli groaned in frustration but tried to calm his breathing. Alli and Clare rounded the corner.

"What's going on here?" Clare asked.

"Eli and K.C. got into a fight," Sav kept a hand on Eli's shoulder.

"It's fine… I handled it. Nothing to worry about," Eli spoke.

Clare crossed her arms, "So much for 'dropping it.'"

"He hurt you, Clare," he responded, "What was I supposed to do?"

She looked at him and sighed, "Honestly, I figured you wouldn't let it go. Why do you think Sav and Drew were able to break up the fight so fast? I asked them to keep an eye out."

Eli looked at Drew. He shrugged and gave him a small smile.

"Promise me you'll drop it this time. For real," Clare said.

Her blue eyes shined with concern and Eli couldn't help but acquiesce.

"Ok, fine," he sighed, "But if he tries anything again…"

"He won't. I promise," Clare tentatively touched his arm.

Eli nodded.

"Walk me to class?" she asked.

"Of course," he answered.

Clare's hand was still on his arm. She slowly moved down until it reached his hand. She gently intertwined her fingers with his. Eli was taken off guard and looked down. He saw their hands and smirked. She smiled at his reaction and the two made their way to her class.

Alli couldn't contain her happiness any longer. As they disappeared into the crowd, she jumped for joy.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Adam met up with the three, "What's with the commotion?"

"Clare and Eli walked to class holding hands. That means they have to be official!" Alli squealed.

"What?" Adam yelled, "And I missed it?"

**

* * *

**

A/N: Yes! About time! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who agrees? ;)


	16. Plans, Palahniuk, Perfect

**A/N: I still own nothing. Sorry for not updating in a while, but I think you will enjoy this chapter =) So I think this story is going to end soon. Like, one more chapter soon. I found a good ending for it and I'm happy with it. It ties in nicely. So here's the second to last chapter!**

* * *

It has been two weeks since you've become official and you two haven't kissed yet?" Alli was shocked.

"Well, yeah. It has just never come up," Clare said, "I guess we're just taking things slow. Besides, it's not like he asked me to be his girlfriend or vice versa. It just sort of happened."

"You could always kiss him first," Alli suggested with a smile.

"You and I both know I would never do that," Clare smiled shyly.

"Two weeks and no kiss," Alli reviewed, "I'd go crazy."

"It's not that bad," Clare defended, "It's actually quite sweet that he hasn't yet."

Just then, Clare's phone buzzed. It was a text from Eli.

_Let's hang out. Just the two of us._

She smiled, _Like a date?_

He replied, _Well you are my girlfriend after all ;)_

She looked up at her best friend.

"Eli asked me out on an official date tonight."

Alli squealed.

Clare laughed at her reaction then thought it over, "But you and I had plans tonight."

"Did I say tonight?" Alli said, "I meant tomorrow night. Tonight is… uh… family… board… game… night…"

The redhead raised an eyebrow, "Family board game night?"

"It was the first thing that came to mind," Alli said, "You have to go on that date with Eli! It's your first official date!"

Clare was grateful, "Thanks, Alli. You're the best."

"I know," she joked.

* * *

Clare had the house to herself tonight – her mom went to her sister's, while her dad was out with co-workers. She wasn't sure what Eli had planned but she decided to wear a simple dress. It was another blue dress, a different style from the other one. She didn't wear a headband but curled her hair for extra volume. She looked at her clock and saw that she had 15 minutes left. Her phone rang and she saw that it was Alli.

"Hi Alli," she answered.

"You have to tell me everything!" her best friend practically screamed through the phone.

Clare kept her phone at a distance, "Sheesh Alli, shouldn't I be the one screaming through the phone out of excitement?"

"Why aren't you?" her voice boomed.

The redhead replied, "I think I'm just a bit more nervous than excited."

"Aww, Clare, don't worry," Alli assured her, "I'm sure Eli has something amazing planned. You two will smile, laugh, stare into each other's eyes, share your first kiss, and fall in love."

Clare could hear Alli's voice drift off into her little fantasy land. She shook her head but smiled. Just then, she heard a knock on the door. She hesitantly opened it. Eli stood there with black pants, a gray button up, and a black tie. She stared for a few seconds – he looked good.

"He's here," Clare told Alli.

"Details, woman!" Alli said before hanging up.

Eli offered his arm, "Ready to go?"

Clare smiled and took his arm. They made their way to Morty. Once they were settled, he started the car and drove.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Well, I was thinking we go to Chuck Palahniuk's reading," he answered.

"You got tickets to that?" she was excited.

"He's one of my favorite authors. Of course I did," he smiled at her.

Clare smiled in return. She was a big fan of Palahniuk.

They arrived with time to spare and were able to get good seats. It was held at an open patio with lamps lighting the area. There were complimentary food and drinks, which the two grabbed before sitting down.

"Good evening," Chuck Palahniuk announced, "Thank you for coming to this reading. Now, I won't be reading to you the whole time. I don't want to completely bore you. There will be breaks and at the end, we will have a question and answer portion, as well as a book signing."

The event lasted almost 2 hours due to the question and answer portion, and the signing. Clare and Eli enjoyed the reading and were now in line to get their books signed.

"Hi," the author took the books from them, "And what are your names?"

"Clare and Eli," Eli spoke up, "We're big fans of your work."

He smiled, "That's great to hear. Did you enjoy?"

"Absolutely," Eli answered, "You're a fantastic writer. There's never a dull moment in your books – the writing style, the themes, the plot."

"Not to mention your characters," Clare chimed in, "They may be dark and twisted, but they have aspects that everyone can relate to."

Chuck Palahniuk handed them back their books, "Thank you for your input. I always enjoy hearing from fans. Have a nice evening."

They left the signing and walked back to Morty in a comfortable silence. Clare honestly enjoyed herself and thought that the date was perfect. Eli felt the same way. He was having a great time, but he also knew he had to get Clare home at a decent time. He opened the passenger door and she set their books down. She hesitated getting in.

"Is everything ok?" Eli asked.

"Yeah," she looked at him, "Thank you for this date."

There was a small amount of space between them.

"You're welcome," he said sincerely, "I should probably get you home…"

"Actually, my curfew was extended," she said softly, "My mom is visiting her sister and my dad has always been lenient on my curfew during weekends. I told him where I was."

Eli shuffled closer to her. Clare noticed and adjusted herself to him. She could really see the green in his eyes. He could literally outline the curves of her lips.

"So I've still got some time with you?" he kept his voice low.

"Yeah," she almost sounded breathless.

The two stood in silence. Eli kept his eyes on Clare – he scanned her hair, eyes, and lips. She blushed under his intense gaze. Clare looked at him too, every once in a while. His eyes were focused on her lips and she couldn't help but stare at his own. She was suddenly aware of how close he was getting to her. She briefly looked up to see that Eli's eyes were closing. She braced herself for what was coming and closed her eyes too. Clare lightly tilted her head up and she was met by his lips. Butterflies raced throughout her body as the kiss deepened. Eli instinctively held on to her waist, while Clare put his hands on his shoulders. Their lips moved in sync. It was a simple, yet passionate kiss. Weeks of tension were immediately released on to the kiss.

Eli pulled away first. It took a second for Clare to recover. She already missed how close they were to each other. He opened the door and whispered in her ear.

"I should get you home."

His voice sent a shiver through her spine. His face was still so close. She slowly turned to him and leaned in. Clare wasn't sure where that bold move came from, but she was happy with that move once his lips made contact with hers again. She gently grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. His hands were back on her hips. After a minute or two, they pulled away.

"Good first date?" Eli smirked.

Clare answered, "It's perfect."

* * *

**A/N: Yay fluffy ending. If I butchered Chuck Palahniuk, I'm so sorry! I don't know much about him so I did the best I could. Like I said, just one more chapter to go. I can't believe it's almost over. I'm actually quite sad. Thank you for your reviews and support.**


	17. Thank You

**A/N: Here is the last chapter. It's sad to think that this story is over. I was really enjoying writing this. I think I ended this nicely, though. Enjoy!**

* * *

Clare sat in one of the benches at the side of school. It was lunch time and she was brainstorming for her next English assignment – A "Thank You" letter to anyone who has impacted their life. She knew exactly who to write to and wasted no time writing down ideas.

"Sorry, I'm late," a voice interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up to see Eli standing there with a comic book in his hands.

"Adam wanted to catch up," he explained.

Clare smiled, "It's ok. All is well with him?"

"Yep," he took a seat next to her, "What are you working on?"

"The English assignment," she replied.

Eli looked at her, "That's not due for another two weeks."

She shrugged, "I know, but I had an idea for it so I wanted to write it down."

He nodded, "Can I take a look?"

She moved the papers away from him, "I was hoping to do this on my own?"

He looked puzzled but agreed – her writing had improved since their first meeting.

"Sure, but as a trade off, I won't show you my paper."

"Deal," Clare said. She leaned over to him and kissed his cheek, "Thank you."

Eli smiled. They kept PDA to a minimum, but they snuck in a few kisses here and there. They were only a month in to the relationship, but things were going well. They were taking things slow and were comfortable with the pace. Clare couldn't have been any happier and Eli felt the same.

"How's everything at home?" he asked.

She sighed – it was hard for her to talk about it sometimes.

"My dad found an apartment. My mom and I are going to stay with her sister."

He sat silently, listening.

"They still send me to Alli's here and there," she continued, "But they've gotten better at talking to me about it."

Eli put an arm around her. Clare snuggled closer, with a smile.

"If there's anything more I can do…" he started.

"Eli, you've been great," she told him.

The two heard arguing at a distance. The turned their attention to the noise. K.C. and Jenna were at a standstill – she was in tears and he was fuming. After a few more exchanges in words, K.C. walked away. Jenna tried to stop her tears before going the opposite direction.

"Does he always walk away?" Eli asked.

"I guess so," Clare replied, "Especially when tackled and threatened."

"No one messes with my girlfriend…" he leaned in.

She giggled at his comment and met him halfway. They shared a quick kiss.

The bell rang and Clare got up. Eli quickly followed. She lightly grabbed his hand.

"Let's get to class, boyfriend."

* * *

Three weeks had passed and exams were coming up. Everyone was stressing out. Alli offered to tutor Drew in History, Adam still had a love-hate relationship with Math, Eli focused most of his attention on French, and Clare was working on a Media Immersion project. As if she didn't have enough on her plate, Ms. Dawes wanted to see Clare afterschool.

She nervously walked into her English class. Ms. Dawes hadn't spoken to her since she was assigned to work with Eli. She thought she was making progress in the class. She stood awkwardly by the door.

"Ms. Dawes?"

The teacher looked up and smiled, "Come in, Clare."

She could sense the girl's nerves.

"You're not in trouble."

Clare relaxed at her words.

"Hi Ms. Dawes," a voice chimed in.

Clare turned around to see Eli. She couldn't help but smile at his presence. He returned it with a smirk.

"Now that the two of you are here," Ms. Dawes spoke, "I wanted to get your input on what it was like working with a partner the whole semester."

Clare and Eli looked at each other.

"It was… great," Eli said, "But you really have to be open to the idea of working with someone for the whole semester."

"Yeah," Clare agreed, "But once you get passed that, you can learn a lot from them."

"Would you say that you improved in your writing?" Ms. Dawes asked.

"I feel like I have," Clare replied, "I look at my work in the beginning of the semester and there is a big difference."

Eli nodded, "Yeah, there are subtle changes in my work, but my essays are definitely better now."

Ms. Dawes was happy to hear their answers, "Thank you Eli, Clare. I was thinking of assigning everyone a partner next semester. I've noticed your writing have improved and I am hoping to get the same results with your classmates."

She then pulled out their recent assignment – the "Thank You" letters.

"These letters are some of your best works," she told them, "I can see the improvement in your writing. I just wanted to commend you for all the effort you put into this class. As you know, there is no exam for this class, just a final essay. You two are doing exceptional in this class so don't worry too much about that last essay."

"That's one less class to worry about," Eli mentioned.

"Indeed, Mr. Goldsworthy," Ms. Dawes agreed.

The teacher set the papers aside, "Good luck on finals."

With those words, the two were dismissed. As they got to the door, Ms. Dawes saw them intertwine hands. She smiled and looked their essay. Both started off the same.

_Thank you, Ms. Dawes._

**

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**

A/N: That's the last chapter! This was a lot of fun to write. I hope I can think of other EClare ideas. Maybe I'll be back when school has ended. Haha. Thank you for the reviews and alerts, those made me smile. I hope you enjoyed reading this story. Thank you again!


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